Dog days of August!

Maggie Mae-mischief maker

Mr.Maximus with a sad face!

It is so hot right now that I really can't stand to be outside very long and am so grateful that I don't have to work out in it! Our particular spot of the county is very dry, also.  We are missing almost all of the afternoon heat-related showers.  Thankfully we got a good bit of rain back in the spring and early summer or we would really be hurting right now. I guess I can also be grateful I didn't bother(translate I didn't have time to anyway) with any flowers and we didn't get a garden planted this year. Kerry is working 2 jobs now and with my commutes and work schedule, time just seems at a premium.  I won't get off complaining anymore about time, though! I do wish it would set into to raining for a couple of days as I can't remember how long it has been since it even rained all day. My soul seems to be crying for some rain as does the grass and shrubberies!

Wanted to take some blogging time to brag on my daughters a bit.  I appreciate them in so many ways, but on this occasion wanted to highlight their "craftiness"!  I had purchased a necklace earlier this year and when Emily saw it, she threatened to steal mine!  Well, she did put mine around her neck and wear it, but I was able to grab it back from her before she left home that weekend! Since it had only cost me about $8 at a store called Holliday's, I went back the next week to get her one but they no longer had them in stock. Here is a closeup of the one I purchased.

Emily came for a visit again and we decided that we would look at my beads to see if I had enough similar beads for her to attempt a copy. Emily poured through my bead collection and in just a few hours, with a little help from me in adding the chain and fastenings, came up with her own version of the necklace.  Not longer after this Holly came home for a summer visit while she was off  from teaching(the lucky little stinker!).  She also loved my necklace and, just like her sister, stole it from my jewelry box to wear every chance she got!  When I told her that I wasn't going to let her pack it away in her suitcase to take home to Texas, she decided she would try to make one, too! I didn't have enough bigger beads of different colors any longer, so this meant we HAD to make a trip to Hobby Lobby!  So sad, I know!  Well, it WAS a little sad for my wallet since jewelry findings were half price when we got there and that meant several  bags of beads and such made their way into the buggy somehow!  A night or so before she was to head back to Texas, we stayed up late so Holly could make her own colorful necklace.  Their versions are shown below.  The one Holly made is on top and Emily's on the bottom.  I think they did a great job!!!!!  Actually I may like their necklaces better than the one I bought! 

I'm also proud of how creative they are in many aspects of  their everday life  Holly is a teacher now and I am always amazed at the clever ideas she has for decorating her room and the classroom teaching aids she creates from sometimes very inexpensive items.  Both of them are very resourceful and imaginative in decorating their homes, creating lovely rooms with mostly what they have on hand.  For Thomas' birthday party, they worked together while Holly was home to come up with the cutest invitations. Unfortunately I gave mine to the lady who made Thomas' birthday cake and didn't get it back, so I can't show you a pic of that.  Emily did make Thomas a Cookie Monster cake especially for him that was so cute!! You can see it, other decorating for the party, and some people who shared the day with us in this Webshots album. Note, Emily made the crepe paper pompoms hanging from the ceiling, too.  I am so proud of both of them and love them SO much! A Mom couldn't ask for better daughters!

In everyday life, I still remain pretty busy.  Work is mostly good.  We don't have to stay over as much anymore.  Some days are hectic, but that is any job, I guess, and I am so thankful to have one!  I am doing a little better about art. I was able to get my fabric cuff swap done along with the extra goodies I wanted to make for my friend, Beth.  I've had the cuff completed but it took me some time to decide on the "surprise" part.  Once I decided what to make, I worked here and there, and finally got it done this past Monday.  Beth should be getting the package any day now, so I will blog about the cuff and the surprise once I know she's received them.  I did, also, complete all of Thomas' collage pics that I had been working on since before he was born!  Here is the last one of an alligator.  I think I've already shown the turtle and the elephant, but if I see I haven't I'll add that to the next post.

I do hope to get back into journalling again and to try to find time to paint. These things have been said before, but maybe this will be the time it actually gets done!  I was telling a friend today at work that I still don't feel connected to my life.  I feel like I am living someone's else life, if that makes any sense.  Some is due to the job changes last year, I know, and other life changes, as well, but I expected it to be getting better by now. "One day at a time" is all I know to tell myself.